In the year 2013, civilization has been nearly decimated. No government remains and most of the population struggles to survive. Groups of armed men vie for control...even dominance of their surroundings. An army of warriors called the Holnists, led by the despotic General Bethlehem (Will Patton), is determined to keep the people apart and their spirits empty so that the Holnists can continue their reign of terror.

A lone drifter (Kevin Costner) tdiscovers a mail carrier's old, rusted jeep. Inside, he finds a sack full of undelivered mail and the driver's uniform. Hoping it will make it easier for him to get food and shelter from the townspeople nearby, he dons the uniform and presents himself as The Postman, a representative of the restored government of the United States. To the people he encounters, The Postman and the letters he carries serve as a reminder of the way they once lived their lives. Slowly a new spirit begins to take hold in their hearts. The mail The Postman carries has become a symbol of hope, more important, it gives the citizens the courage to battle the Holnists to regain control of the country.